Teaching German

News

Extradited Eritrean man says he is not smuggling kingpin

The suspected Eritrean kingpin, who was extradited from Sudan to Italy, has told authorities he is not the man they are looking for. Prosecutors identified the man as Medhane Yehdego Mered, an alleged human trafficker.

The suspect was identified by Italian authorities as Medhane Yehdego Mered, an alleged mastermind of a migrant smuggling ring that has shipped thousands of people from the Horn of Africa to Italy via Libya.

The man was brought to Italy from Sudan earlier this week under great fanfare.

"It is clear for him he is not the man who is smuggling or trafficking humans," Michele Calantropo, the defendant's lawyer, said outside a prison in Rome on Friday.

Prosecutors from Sicily admitted Thursday they were looking into the matter after

Deadly week in Mediterranean as smugglers pack boats

after being arrested in May by Sudanese intelligence services in Khartoum.

But within hours of his arrival in Italy, the media reported that the arrested man might be an Eritrean refugee with a similar first name, Medhanie Tesfamariam Berhe, who had been living in Sudan.

Calantropo has requested the authorities to release the accused from jail, arguing he is not a threat.

The lawyer also said the client does not speak Arabic, as Mered is known to do, and has never visited Libya.

Mered is 35 years old, whereas Berhe is 27, according to an Eritrean broadcaster.

'The General'

Known as "The General," Mered has been on Europe's most wanted list since 2015. His capture, which involved the support of Italian and British law enforcement, is the first time Italy has been able to nab a top human trafficker in Africa.

Italian police said Mered was in a "senior position in a criminal network operating in several continents," but particularly in northern Europe.

Italy has been at the forefront of the migrant crisis hitting Europe. Since the beginning of 2014 nearly 350,000 migrants have embarked on rickety boats across the Mediterranean from Libya, trying to reach Europe.

Most migrants using Libya as a springboard to reach Europe come from sub-Saharan Africa.

Dramatic images of capsized migrant boat

Common mistake

Migrants on board the blue fishing vessel rushed to one side of their boat when they spotted a rescue ship. As a result, the boat listed sharply to one side, then capsized, and later began to sink. Such sudden movements of people aboard ships are responsible for numerous tragic incidents in the Mediterranean.

Dramatic images of capsized migrant boat

Dropping like stones

Once the boat tipped to a vertical position, people fell into water like stones, Navy personnel reported. The mishap happened some 18 nautical miles off the coast of Libya on Wednesday.

Dramatic images of capsized migrant boat

Belly up

Dramatic images of capsized migrant boat

Rescue operation

Two Italian Navy ships – the Bettica and Bergamini – first helped drowning migrants with life jackets and rafts. Later, the rescued people were taken to Sicily, where nearly 40,000 migrants have arrived so far this year.

Dramatic images of capsized migrant boat

Casualties

At least five migrants drowned in the incident. The Italian Navy managed to rescue 562 people, including 43 children, 10 of whom were babies rescued by the Navy ship Bettica.

Dramatic images of capsized migrant boat

Sad Figures

According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), at least 1,370 migrants have died so far this year trying to make the perilous sea journey to Europe.

Dramatic images of capsized migrant boat

Matter of concern

European officials are concerned that with the onset of better weather a fresh flood of migrants will try to make the dangerous journey from Libya to Europe. The majority of those using Libya as a springboard to reach Europe are from sub-Saharan Africa.